START FOLLOW-ON NEGOTIATIONS, GENEVA (SFO-GVA-VI):

S E C R E T GENEVA 000959 SIPDIS DEPT FOR T, VC AND EUR/PRA DOE FOR NNSA/NA-24 CIA FOR WINPAC JCS FOR J5/DDGSA SECDEF FOR OSD(P)/STRATCAP NAVY FOR CNO-N5JA AND DIRSSP AIRFORCE FOR HQ USAF/ASX AND ASXP DTRA FOR OP-OS OP-OSA AND DIRECTOR NSC FOR LOOK DIA FOR LEA E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2019 TAGS: KACT MARR PARM PREL RS US START SUBJECT: START FOLLOW-ON NEGOTIATIONS, GENEVA (SFO-GVA-VI): (U) HEADS OF DELEGATION ONE-ON-ONE MEETING, OCTOBER 26, 2009 Classified By: A/S Rose E. Gottemoeller, United States START Negotiator. Reasons: 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is SFO-GVA-VI-029. ¶2. (U) Meeting Date: October 26, 2009 Time: 4:00 - 5:30 P.M. Place: Russian Mission, Geneva Participants: U.S. RUSSIA A/S Gottemoeller Amb Antonov Ms. Purcell -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶3. (S) On October 26, 2009, Assistant Secretary Gottemoeller met with Ambassador Antonov at the Russian Mission. Discussion focused on the work schedule for the week, particularly how to fit in all the necessary meetings given the addition of the upcoming visit to Moscow by the U.S. National Security Advisor (NSA) for meetings which Antonov and Gottemoeller both were attending. The allocation of responsibilities among the working groups was also discussed. ¶4. (U) SUBJECT SUMMARY: Impact of NSA Visit on Geneva Negotiations; and, Responsibilities of Treaty Text Working Group. -------------- IMPACT OF NSA VISIT ON GENEVA NEGOTIATIONS -------------- ¶5. (S) Antonov confirmed that he would travel back to Moscow for the visit of National Security Advisor Gen Jones on October 28-29, would return to Geneva on October 30, and then would leave Geneva on November 1 for Moscow. Gottemoeller relayed that Jones would provide new U.S. proposals for the START Follow-on Treaty during a working dinner at Spaso House on October 28. The U.S. Delegation in Geneva would be willing to brief the same material to the Russian Delegation at a meeting the morning of October 29. Antonov expressed relief and appreciation, saying that would spare him the need to transmit the new proposals from Moscow. He asked that the October 29 meeting be a plenary, since the entire Russian Delegation would want the opportunity to hear a description of the new U.S. proposals. Gottemoeller said she would check with her delegation and get back to him. ¶6. (S) Antonov warned that the Russian Delegation would need time to analyze and discuss the new U.S. proposals. It was required to forward its recommendations to the Moscow leadership--Foreign Minister Lavrov, National Security Council Secretary Patrushev, and Presidential Foreign Policy Advisor Prikhodko--to help them know whether the as yet unknown U.S. proposals would meet Russian interests. Russian President Medvedev himself would decide how to respond to the U.S. proposals during the week of November 2-6, on the basis of an important meeting on Saturday, October 31, for which Antonov and his delegation would have to provide the staff work. For that reason, Antonov said, he was not sure that the Russian Delegation would be able to meet in working group format on October 29 and 30. ¶7. (S) Gottemoeller told Antonov that she believed the new proposals, still being decided in Washington, were moving in a direction Russia would consider positive. Jones' visit was intended to boost the momentum of the negotiations, not to disrupt or supersede the negotiating work in Geneva. She urged the Russian Delegation not to let their staffing requirements for Moscow keep them from making use of their limited time in Geneva to meet with the U.S. Delegation in the working groups. She also reminded Antonov that the U.S. Delegation would continue working in Geneva the first week of November. ¶8. (S) Antonov commented freely on the timing difficulties that were being created, in his opinion, by the Jones' visit to Moscow. After some discussion, it was agreed that the working groups would meet through Wednesday as the United States had proposed, and further scheduling for the week would be decided on Tuesday. Antonov undertook to consult with his delegation on Monday night in order to be able to complete this scheduling process. (Begin comment: The working groups did continue to meet throughout the week, to Friday, October 30. End comment.) -------------- RESPONSIBILITIES OF TREATY TEXT WORKING GROUP -------------- ¶9. (S) Gottemoeller next raised the work program for the Treaty Text Working Group (TTWG),urging Antonov to permit his military experts to work together with the TTWG chairs to complete the treaty articles. Antonov argued, as he had for some weeks, that the treaty articles ought to be negotiated in the appropriate working groups and then be brought to the TTWG for final editing and conforming. Gottemoeller reemphasized that the TTWG was the locus for ensuring that all of the provisions of the treaty and accompanying documents were consistent and, therefore ,it made sense for that group to work with the chairmen of the other working groups from the outset, as each article of the treaty came up. Antonov agreed to try this way of working, and he and Gottemoeller agreed that the next TTWG meeting, to be held on Tuesday, October 27, would tackle Article VIII (concerning notifications). Mr. Siemon and Col Ryzhkov would join the meeting to work with Ambassador Ries and Mr. Koshelev. ¶10. (U) Documents exchanged. None. ¶11. (U) Ries sends. GRIFFITHS